January 5, 2008

New Year's Eve!

We had a very fun New Year's Eve soiree last week complete with massive quantities of food and drink. Which no one ate. Oh, everyone drank, though. I know this much because of the dance party that ensued until 3:30 am.

Anyway, I am quite confident that the food was not the problem because everything was delicious. We started the party at 9 pm, which is a little late for eating a huge plate of hors d'oeuvres. I didn't even eat as much as I thought I would. Anyway, we gave away some leftovers and have been feasting on the rest ourselves. I'm actually quite proud of all the homemade goodness I put out and I would replicate this spread in the future whenever possible. I never get tired of looking for appetizer recipes, so if you have favorites of your own, please pass them my way!!

So, yeah, I guess that's a lot. Well, we live and we learn. Abundance should be our middle name. I don't feel at all bashful admitting that I loved everything I made. It may seem an odd assortment, but I love that feeling of not knowing where to start!

I added the pineapple last minute and it was devoured. The cheeses were brought by our good friends who scored some amazing finds from the Cowgirl Creamery that just opened downtown. We had an incredible aged cheddar that was really flavorful, salty, dry and almost crumbly, a great blue and a triple creme brie named fleur de lis. My personal favorite hors d'oeuvre were the Mushroom Croustades. Another amazing Junior League cookbook recipe! These were seriously good. You'll feel like a professional caterer when you pull these out. I'll save the recipe for another day since I also have to get this yummy dip on the page.Mediterranean Layer DipEssentially hummus topped with olive tapenade and a fresh tomato/cucumber/mint salad. Refreshing and light but deep in flavor and easy to prepare. Of course, buying the hummus is a time-saver.

Begin assembly by choosing a beautiful platter. I think a cake stand would look elegant or just a large white plate would work. Spread all of the hummus down on the platter. Top this with the olive tapenade, leaving about an inch border of hummus showing. Next, spoon the tomato salad mixture evenly over the tapenade. Sprinkle with feta, green onions and additional black olives, if desired. Sprinkle extra parsley over the top and around the platter. Serve with pita bread. Soften bread by wrapping in foil and placing in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

This recipe is to taste. I don't have a large food processor, so I did this in 2 batches. Start by chopping the garlic alone in the processor. Add the chickpeas and other ingredients and puree until smooth. Add more lemon juice and/or spices, if desired. I added a few tbsps of water to help the consistency, but you can add oil instead. Taste and season...taste and season...Makes about 3 cups.

Pulse the herbs together in the food processor until chopped. Add the other ingredients. Pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed. Makes about 1 cup.

Okay, okay, stop twisting my arm. Here's one more freebie. The easiest dessert that I pulled out of nowhere and everyone complimented me on...the brownies!!! Don't worry, they are very subtly flavored with peppermint...think candy-cane.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Stir in white chocolate chips and mint extract. Bake according to directions. Slice, serve and get ready for rave reviews. Note how the mint sprig garnish signals the mint in the brownies...oh la la! =)

3 comments:

That layer dip looks absolutely scrumptious, Megan! I'm going to have to make it, most likely with my homemade hummus. And those brownies? Too terribly-wonderfully easy! Thanks for sharing all these recipes and your fab menu. Happy New Year!

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About Me

I have a rich life full of great food, friends and family. I trained as a classical musician and teacher, and lived a glorious 2 years in Paris, France before moving to the DC area.
I hope you'll enjoy these recipes as much as I do.